Uber driver takes woman on a $293 joy ride before finally arriving at her destination

By Williams Pelegrin December 17, 2014

uber nyc scheduled rides app portland — Image used with permission by copyright holder

From being sued by Portland, to being banned in Spain and India, it isn’t a good time to be Uber. Unfortunately for the company, its bad fortunes continue, as an Uber driver was caught taking a sleeping passenger for quite a joyride, as reported by the Gothamist.

After her company holiday party ended shortly after 11 p.m., Megan ordered an Uber to take her home from Park Avenue and 26th Street in New York City. Her destination was Hoboken, located in New Jersey and about 4.8 miles from where she was picked up. According to Megan, she felt ill and tired, so she dozed off. When she woke up, she saw the $293 bill and wasn’t too thrilled about it.

Based on the route image Megan sent to the Gothamist, the Uber driver took his sweet time taking her back home. He even drove across Manhattan several times before finally crossing the Lincoln Tunnel and bringing her to her home in New Jersey. Since Uber charges the credit card on file, Megan didn’t see her charges when she left the car.

“I know a lot of people that pass out in cars/cabs and I can imagine drivers sometimes take a longer route to take advantage, but this is the most extreme case I’ve ever seen,” said Megan. “Completely took advantage of a girl riding by herself. Thankfully nothing worse happened!”

According to Megan, she’s tried to contact Uber several times, but each time she’s received an unsatisfactory response. Funny enough, shortly after Gothamist’s article was published, Megan contacted the outlet again, saying Uber compensated her for two-thirds of the trip.

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Williams Pelegrin

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Williams is an avid New York Yankees fan, speaks Spanish, resides in Colorado, and has an affinity for Frosted Flakes. Send…

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